1. Field of Invention
The invention is directed to recycling systems in general and is specifically directed to a closed loop liquid treatment system for removing particulate matter including hydrocarbon waste from a fluid to be recycled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Waste disposal has become a serious environmental problem. In recent years, the production issues involving the generation and storage of waste has exploded. Further, the impact of waste disposal on the environment has become of increasing concern, particularly in densely populated, industrialized areas. A high percentage of waste generated is organic in nature and contains hydrocarbons.
Many agricultural and industrial operations are dependent upon fluids ranging from solvents to cleansers for maintaining and cleaning mechanical equipment used by way of example, for spreading organic fertilizers, pesticides and the like for pest control and for promoting agricultural growth. Golf courses, for example, are heavy users of machinery used for turf maintenance such as grass cutting and other activities. When the equipment is returned to the storage shed at the end of a workday, proper maintenance requires that the equipment be cleaned. Typically, this is done with water under a high pressure spray to wash off any organic material collecting on the equipment and to rinse any containers used for housing chemical and organic fertilizers and pesticides and the like.
In the past, the waste water generated during such a procedure has been improperly disposed into the environment. With greater environmental concern, this is no longer desirable nor permitted in many areas. Thus, it is required to store the water for disposal at designated waste sites or, in the alternative, to cleanse the water for recycling purposes.
It has long been known to remove the particulate material from such waste water by utilizing mechanical filters and the like. However, this only solves a portion of the problem. The greater risk is the hydrocarbons and other waste materials suspended in the rinse water and not readily subjected to mechanical screening. In addition, by simple mechanically screening the particulate matter from the water, solid waste is quickly generated, creating its own disposal problem.
Naturally occurring microbes, or single cell organisms which are active hydrocarbon consuming organisms naturally occurring in nature, have been utilized in waste control. It has been found that a mixture of living active microbes can be used to bio-degrade organic waste or hydrocarbons suspended in fluids such as water to be cleansed and reclaimed.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a closed loop water treatment facility on-site wherein the water may be reused over and over again for specific functions, with the waste particles and materials collected in suspension in the water being removed on a cyclic basis and disposed of in a safe manner. Further, it remains desirable to provide equipment wherein the waste may be broken down into the most harmless elements or components while at the same time reducing the accumulation of solid waste generated by such organic components to be disposed of.